Shougi and Shadows
by Dolphin River
Summary: [AU] An unlikely couple, the lazy dark haired genius and the energetic blonde dobe. female!Naruto, ShikaNaru
1. Chuunin Exams: Clack

_A/N: This is the start of (hopefully) a series of oneshots. Female Naruto(I've got the Genderbender curse__), with light ShikaNaru. I love this pairing, but it's sooo rare! Down with SasuNaru! Shika is soo much better!  
_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!_

* * *

_Clack._

A sigh, followed by the rustling of clothes.

_Clack._

Another shougi piece is set on the board. A quick glance toward the green sand hour glass shows that the unconscious figure on the bed is still recuperating from their chakra exhaustion.

He looks back at the game board, and with another sigh, moves a piece.

_Clack._

He looks up from the board once again, this time toward the sleeping figure. His eyes trace down cheeks still plump with baby fat, each scored by three whisker-like marks that are the only marks on the smooth, golden skin, and along the graceful jaw-line to the hollow of an ear. He takes in the long, thick eyelashes lining closed eyelids, and lengthy locks of gold hair that shine in the sun as they sprawl across the pillow. A small, straight nose and slightly chapped lips complete the image, and he smiles contently to himself.

Glancing once more over the petite frame of the figure on the bed, he returns to his solo game.

_Clack._

Time passes slowly, one inhabitant of the room sleeping off the effects of rigorous physical training, the other arduously training mentally. The room is comfortably silent, broken only by the continual sharp taps of pieces being set on the wooden board and the occasional fidgeting of either figure.

_Clack._

Suddenly, the conscious figure looks up at the chakra hourglass and notices that the green sand has stopped flowing. He then watches the unconscious form expectantly, looking for any sign of the person waking.

Fluttering eyelids and a furrowing of the brows are his first signals of awakening, before delicate eyelids are sluggishly pulled up. Eyes of the purest blue are revealed, like sapphires set in the gold mount of the face, and they are glazed over with the remnants of healing sleep. Slowly, hands raise to rub the eyes groggily, wiping away the remaining sleep sand lingering in the corners, pausing only as the figure gives a jaw cracking yawn.

Their task done, the hands drop gracelessly back to the figure's side as they lick and smack their lips together, trying to get rid of the dry cotton feel in their mouth.

Blue eyes contemplate the ceiling for a moment, before moving to peruse the room in which they are sitting. The lock quickly onto the watching boy, and the figure sits up quickly in the bed in surprise.

"Shikamaru?" The voice is slightly hoarse from days of disuse.

The dark haired boy gives a lazy look, before replying, "So you're finally awake, Naruto?" A soft smile spreads across his face as he drawls, "How troublesome."

The blonde blinks, still somewhat sleepy, before a grateful smile spreads across her face.

"Yeah," she responds quietly, laying back on the bed, "how troublesome."

Comfortable silence takes control of the room once more, broken only by the sharp sounds of wooden pieces being laid on the wooden board.

_Clack._

* * *

_Closing A/N: Should I make this into a story instead of a series? Review and let me know! _


	2. Post Timeskip: Cold

_A/N: Extremely short and sweet, but I've been dying to write some ShikaNaru for a while now. (If you don't believe me, let me tell you that I had a dream about it last night. Yeah. It was incredibly weird too… Chouji was kidnapped by one of my neighbors and Shikamaru and Naruto had to rescue him while Kakashi was aiding my neighbor…like I said, weird.)_

_On the note of whether or not this will be a story: I've decided to leave this as it is, but I _do_ have an idea for a ShikaNaru story, which I'll probably put into the works when I finish a current project._

_Also, check out my deviantArt account, which I'll have posted in my profile._

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, nor am I making any profits off the writing of fanfiction.

* * *

A sharp tap at his window brought Shikamaru from his doze, his consciousness having been teetering on the edge of deeper sleep. With an annoyed grumble, the lazy teen rolled over, one eye peering blearily at the window, and upon recognizing the silhouette standing there, he sighed wearily and got up to let the person inside.

Frosty air hit his face as he slid the window open, the figure slipping in swiftly with a briefly whispered, "Thanks."

"Naruto," he drawled quietly, climbing back into his bed, "what are you doing here at this time of night?"

The heavily swathed blonde turned to him and gave him a wan smile. "My heater's broken again, and the landlord refused to fix it for the next few days. So I figured, why not spend some time with Shikamaru? That way, I get a warm bed _and_ someone to snuggle with." She replied, the smile turning to a smirk near the end.

Propping himself up on his elbows, Shikamaru squinted at her through the dark, noticing for the first time that despite several layers of clothes, Naruto was shivering violently. With a tired sigh, the brunette lay back down and motioned her to come over and lay with him.

The blonde replied with a brilliant smile that seemed to illuminate the dark room, and began shedding some of her clothes. He lifted the side of the covers for her as she slipped in next to him, scooting over to curl against his side. Wrapping an arm around her shaking form, Shikamaru jerked away from her in surprise when her ice cold hands and feet touched his own warm flesh. "Kami, woman!" he exclaimed quietly.

Naruto replied with a soft laugh. "It's colder than a grave in my apartment, so it stands to reason that I myself would be as cold as a corpse."

"Yeah, well, keep those ice cubes to yourself." The brunette grumbled as he closed his eyes and lay his head back against the pillows, once more preparing for sleep.

His comment got another quiet laugh, but the blonde didn't say anything as she wrapped herself more securely around him. Naruto dropped her head into the crook of his shoulder, mind quickly sinking into a deep sleep as her cold body leeched his warmth.

Shikamaru planted a soft kiss to her forehead, pulling her form a bit closer before he too succumbed to the pull of sleep.


	3. Post Timeskip: Face

_A/N: _Why _did I write this!? I have an essay to finish for tomorrow, and I'm writing fanfiction. Well, I hope you all appreciate this!_

_I still have loads of reviews to reply to, and already I'll be adding more! I was sooo surprised at the number of responses!_

_Also, I'd like to point out that Shika and Naru aren't quite 'together' yet._

* * *

His features were sharp, she decided. Like his mind.

She watched as he sat across from her, studying the board between them as she nestled a cup of hot green tea in her hands.

He had taught her how to play shougi over five months ago, and having spent most of her playing time against him, she could definitely say that her planning and tactical skills had undeniably improved.

Though she couldn't hope to match him… even if he did let her win sometimes.

Probably thought she'd complain if he didn't- and everyone knows how _troublesome_ that would be.

He made his move and gave her a questioning look when he noticed her staring at him.

She smirked in reply.

A quick study of the board, and her own move is made. She has a tendency not to think things through as thoroughly as he does. Leaves more room for improvisation.

Again he scrutinized the board, and she went back to her study of him. Watching the way his brow furrowed in concentration.

His face is naturally very serious, like his dark coloring- lacking vibrancy.

Though, she knows from the way he smiles at her when they meet up for their little 'dates', that the grave air that his features give off is just that, nothing but air; superfluous and lacking in any sort of real definition.

Especially when he is using his patented lazy slouch and stare.

It only solidifies when his precious people are in danger, and that is one look, she knows, it is dangerous to be on the other end of.

And so, though he'll never be counted among the ranks of the pretty boys like the Traitor, she decided that she liked his face. He was still handsome, that she knew, what with all the admiring looks she had noticed him receiving. He was just more masculine, more mature than the others.

He looked up at her again, and again gave her that look.

Her only response was another smirk.


	4. Post timeskip: Monkey

_A/N: This was inspired by the latest manga chapter, which I read last night and was pleased with all of the Shikamaru shown in the chapter. I was slightly choked up when writing part of it. Not much ShikaNaru- only slight hints as this is from an outside POV. This is slightly AU as well. This has AsuKure romance in it as well._

_Also, the fact that I'm updating so often is the reason I wanted to write a oneshot series. I can write oneshots _much_ easier than I can write a story, so I can update this more often._

_**Warnings:**** MAJOR SPOILERS. **When I said latest chapter, I meant the one that came out this past week._

* * *

A knock at the door startled her from her reverie, and with one last glance at the picture she held in her hands, Kurenai set it on the table and got up to answer the door. When she opened the door, she was surprised to find Naruto on the other side.

"Kurenai-sensei," the blonde greeted, fidgeting nervously. "May we speak?" Her hands were holding something behind her back, and she was shuffling from foot to foot.

Curiously confused, Kurenai invited the blonde into her apartment, offering a cup of tea, which the blonde accepted graciously. Once both were seated at the table, Naruto cleared her throat, catching the raven-haired woman's attention.

"Shikamaru told me about your condition." The blonde began awkwardly, staring into the bottom of her mug.

"Shikamaru told you?" Kurenai echoed in surprise.

Naruto nodded her head enthusiastically. "Shikamaru and I are actually pretty close; have been since our early academy days." She then shook her head, "But that's not what I wanted to come talk to you about. I wanted to speak with you about Asuma-sensei." Kurenai tightened her hold on the ceramic mug in her hands, to keep them from shaking.

The blonde took a deep breath, still staring into her cup, and the dark-haired woman studied her. "What most people don't know is, before I started at the academy and got my own apartment, I was raised in the Sarutobi household, under the care of Sandaime-ojiichan." Kurenai was forced to take in a sharp breath at that news. Naruto gave her a rueful smile.

"Because of that, I actually knew Asuma-sensei very well. He used to keep an eye on me while he was still a chuunin, whenever Ojii-chan had to go to work." A nostalgic smile spread across her face, "I remember Asuma-oji always smelled of cigarettes, just like Sandaime-jiji always smelled like pipe tobacco, though he was never allowed to smoke around me." She shook her head again, as if to clear it, and her expression sobered.

"Anyway, on my last birthday before I moved out, Asuma-oji gave me this." She reached down, pulling out a small stuffed monkey that was holding a bright yellow banana. Setting it on the table, she pushed it toward Kurenai, giving the raven-haired woman a determined look. "I want you to have it, for the baby when it's born."

Kurenai gasped, staring at the monkey as it sat innocently on the table. Her eyes flickered to the blonde, who was still looking at her resolutely. "Naruto, I-"

"No," the blonde shook her head stubbornly. "Keep it. I-" She paused, looking to the side, collecting herself, "I know what it's like, growing up without a father. I just don't want your child to live without knowing any happy memories of their father, like I've had to." The blonde gave her a small, though slightly sad smile, "Besides, I have other things that Asuma-oji gave me, and they are more than enough."

Reaching out a shaking hand, Kurenai grasped the soft stuffed animal. She brought it close, studying it, noticing that it was extremely well cared for. The brunette raised shocked eyes to the younger woman. "Naruto, thank you." she said quietly, sincerely.

"My pleasure, Kurenai-sensei." Naruto replied with a warm smile, before she took a sip of her now luke-warm tea.

"Remembering the good times. That, I think, is the best way that we can honor passed loved ones." Kurenai said, breaking them out of their respective reveries.

Naruto hummed softly in response, before she smirked lazily and replied, "Or we could be like Kakashi-sensei, and practically become the person."

Kurenai was struck by how…_Shikamaru-_likethe expression is, though there is a tint of Sasuke in the way the blonde smirks. Perhaps, 'close' was a bit of an understatement when the blonde described her relationship with the lazy brunette. With a groan, she responded, "Dear Kami, no. We wouldn't be able to handle another Kakashi."

The younger woman gave a delighted laugh, "I know! And actually, for a while I thought that Shikamaru was turning into another Kakashi-sensei, what with him smoking Asuma-sensei's cigarettes." She sighed in amusement. "Thank Kami that was only temporary."

"Indeed," the red-eyed woman agreed, paying a bit more attention to what the blonde was saying. The way the energetic teen said the genius boy's name struck a chord in her. "Why don't you tell me some of your good memories of Asuma?"

The blonde seemed to ponder this a moment, "Well… there was this time, when he first started to teach me how to use a staff to fight. Both of us never really liked to use them; not really our style, you know? But, anyway, I was trying to pull off this move, when suddenly my control slipped and the staff hit me _right_ in the _face_! Asuma-oji panicked! He came running over, demanding if I was alright…"

Kurenai chuckled to herself as she listened to the blonde spin her tale, arms gesticulating wildly as Naruto told all about Asuma's overreaction. She thought to herself of what she had discovered about the young blonde and her lover's favorite student.

Later, after the blonde had left, she hugged the stuffed monkey tightly, reliving her own good memories of the chain-smoking man that had caught her heart.


	5. Academy: Friends

_A/N: This tells of how the two first met, as well as hints at Shika's crush on the blonde starting. There are some important points for later in the story. I have a funny true story about something that happened to me today at the end that deals partially with this._

_Again, thanks for the reviews!_

_Oh and MingShun- thou art cruel to thine authoress. -sniffs- Hast thou no sympathy for mine plight!? Essays be the work of thine devil!_

* * *

"Jeez, Shikamaru," One young seven year old, Yamanaka Ino began, as they sat outside during break on their first day of the Academy. "You're so lazy! You never do anything! Why can't you be more like Sasuke-kun!?" The blonde asked, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"Che, that's too troublesome," the lazy boy responded, resolutely looking up at the clouds.

"Yeah? Too troublesome?" Ino asked as scornfully as a seven year old could, tossing her short blonde hair back in disdain. She planted her hands on her hips and leaned over the boy, while Chouji sat to one side, munching on a bag of chips as he watched.

"It's too troublesome to repeat myself," Shikamaru replied with a put upon sigh.

"Troublesome! Troublesome! Everything is troublesome to you, Nara Shikamaru! And if you're going to be like that, then you'll never be as cool as Sasuke-kun!" The blonde screeched angrily. Ino was about to continue to rant, when she was cut off by someone laughing behind her. Whirling around to face the perpetrator, she asked furiously, "What's it to you, Uzumaki!?"

"Oh nothing, Yamanaka. Just thinking about how useless your argument is." Naruto replied, snickering slightly.

Ino narrowed her eyes at the younger blonde, and said, "Oh yeah?"

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, 'cause if everyone was like the Uchiha, then your precious 'Sasuke-kun' wouldn't be quite as _special_, now would he?"

Ino spluttered irately, before growling, "Shut up, Uzumaki! At least I actually have friends!" With that she stomped off to the other side of the field they were in, where her friends were sitting while picking flowers.

Naruto stuck her tongue out at her retreating figure, before her shoulders slumped with a forlorn sigh. She turned to the relaxing boys, giving them a tentative smile, "Well, I should probably go. Nice meeting you."

"Wait," Shikamaru called out, propping himself up on his elbows. The young blonde stopped and looked back at him, her big, bright blue eyes shining curiously. He studied her short form, noticing her tomboyish manner. Her golden blonde hair was pulled back into a messy, slightly spiky ponytail, and she was partly wet while covered in splotches of mud, a smear of which was spread across her cheek, like she had gone splashing about in the nearby pond. In one hand, she had what looked like a bag of jars hanging loosely from her fingers. Grumbling slightly to himself he stood up, and slouched with his hands in his pockets, walked over to the blonde. He put his hand out to her and said, "I'm Nara Shikamaru." Tilting his head toward his snacking friend, the then introduced, "and he's Akimichi Chouji."

Looking slightly bewildered, Naruto took his hand and replied, "Uzumaki Naruto."

"Man this is troublesome, but you want to come sit with us?" The lazy boy asked, looking at the blonde in a bored manner.

Naruto blinked in surprise, as she looked at Chouji for assent. The chubby boy nodded happily in agreement, and taking that as a cue the girl smiled brilliantly at them both. "Okay!"

Shikamaru blushed when she smiled at him, slightly embarrassed, but shrugged the feeling off. They went and sat next to the eating boy on top of the grassy knoll. They sat in a delicate awkwardness for a few moments, before the blonde broke the tension.

"Hey, hey! You want to see what I found?" Naruto asked them excitedly. Shikamaru shared a glance with Chouji, and shrugged in reply. Taking that as an affirmative, the eager girl began to search through her bag, until she pulled out one of the jars and shoved it in their faces. "Here, look!"

The lazy brunette gingerly took the jar and the two boys gazed down upon its contents. "A tadpole?" he asked rhetorically. Indeed, there was a little black tadpole swimming around in the scummy pond water that filled the rather large jar.

"Uh huh," the blonde acknowledged cheerfully. "I was going to take it home, to Ojiichan's house, and let it go in his pond. It has some really pretty fish, but no frogs so I thought he'd like it." She took the jar back and stowed it carefully away, after which she turned back to the two. "So what about you two? Are you new at the academy? I'm starting my third year here."

They spent the rest of the break talking, getting to know one another while they could since Naruto was in a different class. By the time they were called by to the school, a close friendship had formed between the three.

* * *

_True Story: Okay, so earlier today, my dad and I were talking about how languages like Spanish put verbs, nouns and other things like that into genders. (English is my native language and it doesn't do that, but I have studied three other languages that do- German, Latin, and Classical Greek (Attic dialect, which was used by Alexander the Great and Aristotle)) Anyway, my dad was talking, when suddenly he gets this sardonic smirk on his face and says "-that's _so troublesome_ for them." Needless to say, my brain processes came to a screeching, fiery halt, and I stared stupidly at him for a moment, before I finally came out of my daze and promptly slapped myself on the forehead. I groaned and told him that he had just reminded me of something, before continuing with the conversation. Seriously, it was like I was hit by vertigo and déjà vu all at the same time. I must be writing too much ShikaNaru, or something._

_Well there's my two cents. Wasn't that interesting…_


	6. Post Genin Exams: Tattoo

_A/N: Here's the next chapter of Shougi and Shadows. Next chapter is one I'm sure you'll all be looking forward to! Also, I'd like to point out that shown here are my dream tattoos. Also, I have a new beta! Yay!  
_

_Thanks for all of the reviews, I've been pretty busy as of late with both real life and computer problems, and haven't had a chance to reply!_

_On another note, I have a few fanart pictures that you all might be interested in, one of a female!Naruto and another of Shikamaru. Links are in my profile if you want to check them out!_

* * *

"We did it! We're genin!" An adolescent blonde cried loudly as she tackled a brunette boy to the ground. 

The brunette didn't even bother to sigh at the common occurrence, while the blonde proceeded to bury her face into his chest in joy and excitement. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a light squeeze, prompting her to look up at him as he lifted his head to watch her reactions. "I thought you failed again, Naruto." Though it wasn't phrased like one, that was definitely a question.

Naruto bit her lip in an uncharacteristic gesture of nervousness, not looking him in the eye. "Something happened after school graduation day, and Iruka-sensei allowed me to graduate." Blue eyes looked pleadingly up at Shikamaru, begging him not to ask any more questions. He sighed, dropping his head back into the grass with a soft thump.

"So, we passed. What about it?" He asked lazily. Instantly, the apprehension melted off of the blonde's face and she gave him a brilliant smile.

"What else, baka? We have to do something to celebrate!" Naruto replied, grin turning impish as Shikamaru felt a chill run down his spine.

* * *

Shikamaru groaned as the skin on his left shoulder blade ached, provoking Naruto to swat him on the arm. "Oh you big baby!" She chastised him, "You'll never be a good shinobi if you can't take a little pain!" 

"Che, so troublesome. I can't believe I let you talk me into this." The lazy boy groused as he flopped to sit on the ground beneath a tree in the park, "Kaachan'd kill me if she ever found out…"

"Then don't let her see it!" The blonde replied, as if it were oh so obvious.

He gave her a look that said, 'You _know_ what she's like.'

Naruto huffed. "Fine! If she has a problem with it, tell her it's my fault!"

"I was planning on doing that anyway," the brunette mumbled under his breath, earning him a glare.

Gingerly, Shikamaru pulled off his vest and fishnet shirt, and craned his neck to peer at his newly acquired tattoo. Naruto had been the one to pick it out, and he hadn't been allowed to see what it was; he had grumbled about it, but Naruto had let him do the same for her's so it was an even trade. He couldn't see much, he could only tell that it was done in bright, warm colors.

"Oi, do you have a mirror?" he asked the blonde, who pondered a moment before searching through her pouch and pulling out a signal mirror. She crouched behind him, angling the mirror so he could see the tattoo.

He was rather surprised and pleased at what he saw.

The tattoo was composed of a phoenix, body curving along his shoulder blade, wings spread out on either side. Surrounding the crimson and gold bird was an aurora of flames composed of warm analogous colors to match it. Looking at it, he couldn't help but wonder why the blonde chose it for his tattoo.

"What do you think?" Naruto asked, breaking him from his reverie.

He gave her a rare gentle smile, noticing the tension sliding off of Naruto's form, and replied, "It's nice." Then he smirked and said, "Of course, I was worried you were going to have them give me a bowl of ramen or something, and anything would be better than that."

He received a mock glare in return, before the blonde began to bounce on the balls of her feet. "My turn!" Handing the mirror to Shikamaru, the blonde turned around and slipped the left strap of her tank top off her shoulder and pushed the material down. Craning her neck, she peered into the mirror the lazy boy was haphazardly holding up.

Stretching the length of her shoulder blade was a beautifully designed oriental dragon, it's head at the top facing inward toward her spine. Each scale was perfectly done and the whole dragon was made with thick lines of black colored in with dark blues, sea greens and small touches of yellow. It's eye and whiskers were completely yellow and behind it were stylized whisps of wind and clouds.

Naruto gasped at the sight. "It's beautiful, Shika…" she whispered, before the pony tailed boy found himself lying on the ground with the blonde on top of him for the second time that day. He barely managed to keep from landing on his sore shoulder.

"Oi, careful, you baka." he reprimanded, but the blonde just looked up and smiled before nuzzling into his chest again.

"Thanks for doing this, Shika," Naruto whispered against his collarbone.

He lifted his head slightly to peek down at her, before laying it back down and looking up at the clouds. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and sighed, relaxing a bit more on the ground and smiling.

"No problem, Naruto."


	7. Post Timeskip: Kiss

_A/N:__ Hey guys! Sorry this is so late! I had a bunch of stuff to deal with, including finals, but now I'm out of school for the summer so I'm hoping to get quite a bit of writing done! Without further ado, what you've all been waiting for! Yay!_

_**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Naruto, which is ©Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

**Kiss ♥  
**

"Kurenai's in the hospital(1)," Came the lethargic voice from above her as she lay on her back in the grass, under a tree with her eyes closed, tired and sweaty after a day of training. Her eyes snapped open at the comment and she sat up quickly, to stare up at the messenger.

"Is she alright?" She asked worriedly, swiftly standing and brushing grass off her backside.

He nodded his head in amusement, and simply replied, "It's time."

She gasped, "Already!?" She made to leave, but when she noticed he wasn't moving she turned back to him, exasperated, "Well, what are we waiting for?"

He remained silent, staring at her with an expression on his face that she had seen before, but never so openly. Then, without a word, he made his way toward her, pressing his right hand against her stomach, pushing her gently backwards so that she was pinned firmly against the trunk of the tree she had been sitting under, bark digging into her back.

"Wh-what-!?" The rest of her surprised exclamation was cut off as he dipped his head, pressing his lips against hers. Her eyes went wide, hands fluttering uselessly against the arm that held her still. He brought his free left hand up to caress her cheek, soothing her as he ran his fingers gently down the marks there. Slowly, she began to relax, eyes sliding shut as she returned the kiss.

The hand on her cheek slid down and moved along her jaw-line to the back of her neck, where the fingers tangled themselves gently in the loose, sweaty locks of hair there. Her own hands gripped his other arm, the right around his wrist and the left curling into his vest at the shoulder. She arched her feet slightly, giving herself a bit more height to kiss him by standing on her toes, and his fingers pressed tenderly into the back of her neck at the motion.

Both pulled back abruptly, panting heavily, and she sagged back against the tree while he rested his forehead against her own, each staring the other in the eye. Suddenly, she blushed, looking down and to the side- unable to keep eye contact. "Um-" she swallowed, breath still coming laboriously, "May- maybe we should get to the hospital now, Kurenai isn't going to wait forever."

He smirked, still gazing down upon her. "Troublesome… but I _suppose _we could continue this later."

Her blush darkened and she gave him a mock glare, before she gave a small affronted sniff and replied, "Well, there won't _be _a next time if we don't get going." Then she gave him a bright grin before pushing him backward slightly and taking off at a fast pace, him following close behind.

* * *

(1) This ties back to chapter 4, for those of you who didn't read it because of spoilers. 

_I'd like to point out that because events are not going chronologically, any chapters with '♥' next to their names, denote events that occur after this chapter, which is the beginning of their romantic relationship. Those that don't, means that the event occurs before they got together, alright? (♥-Love)_


	8. Post Timeskip: Capture

_A/N:__ I know, I know! It's been ages! Summer's not really a writing conducive point in time for me, since I usually write to relieve stress and during the summer I'm usually pretty relaxed, and therefore am more prone to drawing and/or reading. Anyway, here's the next chapter! Do I sense a glimmering of plot?_

_Also, **Shougi and Shadows** has finally reached **100 reviews!** I would like to thank all of you for reviewing, even if I haven't replied in ages!_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, which is © Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

**Capture ♥**

"_Akatsuki has Naruto."_

Three simple words, calmly stated by a fifty-three year old woman to a group of nearly a dozen teenagers and their sensei.

It was like the world had been torn from under him.

Now they were currently engaged in a fight to get their blonde companion back from the nuke-nin organization, and it seemed ironic to Shikamaru to be the one to face off against the very man who had captured Naruto: Uchiha Itachi.

Shikamaru's body was screaming at him, exhaustion creeping up his spine and clawing at the backs of his eyes as he stared the older man down; not directly in the eye, however. His breathing was erratic, numerous wounds burning as warm, slick blood trickled from them.

The other was not so nearly as bad off, but he wasn't in perfect shape, having been caught in a few traps by the Dark Horse. Itachi's bored stare had disappeared and was replaced with a wickedly amused smirk.

"I am surprised," The older Uchiha began, in his precise manner of speech, "that you would all fight so hard for Naruto-kun."

Shikamaru scoffed, "What is there to be surprised about? She is our precious person, and so we shall fight to protect her."

"Oh?" Itachi questioned, a hint of dark laughter in his voice. "And will you be there to protect her in the future, when her dreams come crumbling down around her because people perceive her as a monster?"

"She will succeed," Shikamaru replied with absolute conviction. "She _must_ succeed, for not only herself but the rest of us as well."

The nuke-nin retorted, "You are foolish to place your hopes into one such as she; one who is doomed to failure, their very existence condemned the instant their bodies become vessels."

The lazy Konoha nin shook his head slightly and said, "You don't understand, and you probably never will." He sighed in exasperation, "This has gotten so troublesome."

The Uchiha didn't respond, instead he leapt once more at the Nara, ending their convalescence from the battle.


	9. Post Timeskip: Capture II

_A/N:__ Follow up to last chapter, for those of you who said it was a bit short and who I told, that I was going to build off of it. Slight twisted, one-sided ItaNaru._

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto ©Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

**Capture II ♥**

_A cool hand caressed her swollen, throbbing cheek, and she had to resist the urge to press further into it to try and ease the ache in her broken jaw. Instead, she glared up into the crimson eyes of her captor, baring her bloody teeth at him savagely. Something like amusement sparked behind his eyes, even as he used his thumb to wipe away a fresh trickle of blood from her chin, and inside she began to quake._

_He leaned in close, alarm shooting through her with his face centimeters from her own, and with a dark, sultry smile he whispered, "Your death will be so beautiful."_

She woke, a scream choking off in her throat, her mouth fused shut to aid in the healing of her jaw, and glorious agony raced up her spine to explode in her head. Electric alarms went off as she tried to scramble up, disoriented and feeling things stretched tight across her skin, even as the pain re-ignited. Something nearby slammed and suddenly there were hands all over, forcing her back down, fighting against her inexorably weakening body.

Suddenly, two soft hands gently took her face and her eyes focused on another, honey-gold(1) pair that shone with worry. Recognition shook her, causing her to freeze and then go limp in stunned realization. One of the hands moved, tenderly brushing strands of spun gold from her eyes, and she finally registered the soothing words being spoken in mantra.

"It's alright, Naruto. Calm down. You're home, now. You're safe."

_Safe._ She felt her eyes well with tears even as the dark oblivion rushed in to reclaim her.

* * *

Next time she awoke, her eyes still closed, she felt groggy and the pain had dulled to a point; signs that she had been drugged with something or other. The feel of feeding tubes, transfusion lines, and the extremely uncomfortable catheter were readily becoming apparent, now that the pain was no longer so overwhelming.

A warmth surrounded her uninjured hand and as she twitched her fingers, she felt it give a gentle squeeze. She squeezed back rather desperately, and heard the person give a relieved sigh.

"Are you awake?" Came the comforting deep voice of her boyfriend, and she gave another squeeze. Her hand was lifted and she felt his breath as he pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her knuckles, then was lowered again as his thumb ran in placid strokes across the back.

"Iruka-sensei is currently teaching at the Academy, and everyone besides Hokage-sama are either running missions or are on medical leave. You've had quite a few visitors; you've been out for almost a week." He said, as if to calm non-existent fears. She made a questioning noise in the back of her throat, and he knew her well enough to know what she was asking. "I'm on medical leave as well." She squeezed his hand once more, as if to wring the reason from him. "My arm is broken. I'll be on leave for a while." In no position to question him exactly _how_ his arm came to be broken, she simply let the explanation lie. She was still _so__tired_.

He sighed again, almost as if he had read her thoughts, and never ceasing the calming caresses, murmured, "Get some rest, Naruto."

As she drifted off, she barely caught the kiss to her brow or his pained whisper, "I was _so_ worried." Managing one last, feeble squeeze, she drifted off to a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

* * *

(1) Tsunade. 


	10. Post Timeskip: Matsuri

_A/N:__ I've had an idea for this for a while, but just couldn't decide when to write it. But, I figured that since its Naruto's birthday today, that only this would do. _Happy Birthday, Naruto!

_Kinda funny how I post the 10th chapter on the 10th day of the 10th month..._

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is ©Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

**Matsuri ♥**

Shikamaru had been to several of Naruto's birthday 'parties,' which more often than not, were extremely eventful and usually wound up with some level of property damage.

This time, however, he wanted to change things up a bit. After all, this was to be their first 'official' date, and as it was on her birthday, he wanted it to be special.

First off, he conned the other kunoichi to take Naruto out and find her a _kimono_, and much to his relief they offered to get it as a birthday present for her. After that, Shikamaru made plans with Chouji for food that night, though he made sure to save up money for treats. Ino made sure to run him through on things he should and should not do, took him shopping for _his_ _own_ _kimono_, and then gave him a large bouquet of flowers to impress Naruto with.

When the day finally came, Shikamaru was slightly nervous. Yeah, sure, he and Naruto were close and they had grown up together, but this was the first time he had gone out of his way to astound her.

He met her around mid-afternoon in the park, under the red and gold maple trees.

Naruto was dressed up in a simple but elegant, cream and gold _furisode(1), _with red camellia blossoms printed across it. The _obi_ was deep red, and she was wearing _okobo(2)_ for footwear. Her hair was pulled up into a simple coiffure and make up was used to emphasize her blue eyes; when she smiled as she spotted him, he could feel his heart swell.

The Kyuubi Matsuri was in full swing when they reached the teeming village streets; stalls lined up side by side, offering sweets and prize games, and the _sarugaku(3)_ performers captivated the revelers. They spent the daylight hours there, traveling from stall to stall and spending ridiculous amounts of _ryo(4)_.

When the sun began to set, they made their way to the theatre and a _kabuki(5)_ play was put on. The lead actor, wearing a blonde wig and scarlet makeup, rode onto the stage on a wooden toad as he made dramatic poses. They watched him in his trials against the evil _kitsune_ and his death in the cost of its defeat; by the end of the play, many had both laughed and cried- Naruto most especially of all.

After the play was over, they were met with the cool night air of autumn. They walked to the top of Hokage mountain, where a blanket had been set up on top of the Fourth's head. Sitting there and sipping hot drinks, they watched in awe as fireworks were put on. Each flash of light and colorful burst of sparkles startled a laugh out of the blonde, and Shikamaru couldn't help but stare at her joyous smile.

They walked home hand-in-hand, the blonde humming with a bounce in her step. At her door, they paused to stare at each other in silence, before Naruto let out a quick laugh and leaning up on her tiptoes, gave him a kiss. Pulling apart slightly, Naruto whispered, "Thank you, Shikamaru."

She gave him another quick peck, before disappearing behind her apartment door.

As he turned to leave, Shikamaru couldn't help the giddy smile from spreading across his face at a job well done.

* * *

_A/N: I did a bit of research to write this, so might as well let you know what I'm babbling on about:_

(1) A _furisode_ is a female style kimono that is rather formal. It has long, floor-length sleeves, and is worn by unmarried women for special occasions, such as weddings.

(2) _Okobo_ are a style of sandal worn by geisha, made from blocks of wood.

(3) _Sarugaku_, translated as 'monkey games,' are a style of entertainment by performers, such as acrobatics.

(4) _Ryo_- an old form of Japanese currency.

(5) _Kabuki_ is a very dramatic, very stylized form of Japanese theatre. We've been learning about it in both my theatre and Japanese lit. classes, so I had to put it in. The play they are watching is of course the Fourth's defeat of the Kyuubi.


	11. Post Timeskip: Contrast

_A/N:__ Oh, look! An update! More of a drabble than anything, but still something! Enjoy!_

* * *

**Contrast**

He was never the moon.

It was Sasuke who was the Moon to her Sun, his pale skin striking against his dark hair and eyes when compared with her vibrant looks- and let's not forget the Moon's Dark Side, Itachi. That side which sees no light from the Sun, her brilliance unable to reach him past his younger brother.

But that was alright, Shikamaru mused.

The Moon was only a small rock in comparison to the Sun's massive girth, its luminescence only a reflection of the Sun's brilliance.

When in comparison with Shikamaru, Naruto was not only the Sun but the embodiment of Light itself- not a single Sun, but the entirety of the Universe full of Light-giving Stars.

And Shikamaru was the dark Void within which those stars, those tiny planets resided. He was the Darkness that the Light illuminated, the one who wrapped that brilliance within his embrace to light up his life.

The Sun and the Moon will never meet...

...but there will always be Stars lighting up the Night Sky.


End file.
